Clothe a Kid, Change a Life How YOU Can Make a Difference by Supporting Clothes To Kids

It all started in 2002 with a donated purple coat for a local child in need and two childhood friends, Jode Frisbie Eye and Marie Bouchard McClung of Clearwater. When they learned that there were many more kids who needed clothing donations, they asked, ‘What can we do about it?’

What they did was create Clothes To Kids, which has since then helped provide 223,000 wardrobes and counting to children in the community. But they can’t do it without you.

Jennifer Jacobs, executive director of Clothes To Kids, Inc., tells us that the goal is to ensure that each child who qualifies for free and reduced lunch can “shop” for one week’s worth of clothing, just like they would at a real store. Kids are building wardrobes and confidence, and it’s coming at no cost to their parents and caregivers who otherwise would not be able to afford to pay.

And it’s community members like you who make it all possible when you clean out your kids’ closets and donate new items you picked up along the way. We caught up with our friend Jennifer Jacobs, executive director of Clothes To Kids, to learn more about the current need and how your family can help.

As they say, “Clothe a kid, change a life.”

TBPM: Tell us about the need you all are seeing right now in our community.

Jennifer Jacobs: We are already up 33% from the same time period last year, with everything going on in the world right now. Families, school social workers and school counselors are really seeing a need for kids to have clothes to go to school.

Last year, we provided 16,479 wardrobes. So if you think about that number, that is times 22. Children can receive up to 22 pieces of clothing, so that's more than 400,000 articles of clothing going back into our community. We have to have that amount of clothes to distribute the following year and year after year.

Our goal is to provide 18,125 wardrobes this year.

And the need never stops.

Jennifer Jacobs: Kids don't stop growing. And our need here at Clothes To Kids never stops because kids are always in need of clothes. If you look behind me, what's out on the store floor will allow us to serve about two or three weeks of children. And so we constantly have to have a steady flow of donations coming in so that we can continue to serve the children who need us so much.

What sizes do you typically need?

Jennifer Jacobs: We currently serve PreK 4 all the way through 12th grade. So we start at size 4T, and we go all the way up to 4 and 5X, and that's tops and bottoms. And then for shoes, we serve anywhere from children’s size 10 all the way up to adult size 13 or 14.

Clothes To Kids has high standards for donations that make it to the store floor. What are your requirements?

Jennifer Jacobs: We take great pride in what we put out on our floor. We don't want anything ripped, stained, soiled or anything offensive. We want something that you would take great pride in putting on your children or your nieces and nephews because it matters.

They want to wear the athletic shorts. They want to wear the shirt with the unicorn on it, or a little boy who loves NASA, they want to wear what every other kid is wearing, so really, take a look at it and give us the best of your best donations.

You don’t just need donations, but the donation of time as well. Can families volunteer together to help sort donations?

Jennifer Jacobs: That's correct. Kids can volunteer. So, ages 8 to 14 with an adult, and for 14 and up, we have a youth program.

Now let’s dive into the ways your family can make a difference:

HOST A CLOTHING DRIVE

Students can host a clothing drive, too! Kids who need volunteer hours can host a drive and earn hours based on the number of clothing bags they collect.

Fill Phyllis the Van: One of the easiest ways to host a clothing drive is by asking Clothes To Kids to bring Phyllis, the donation van, to your place of business or school. Donations can be placed directly inside the van, so there’s no worry about having space to store the items during the drive.

Host a Drive-Thru Clothing Drive: Keep it simple for donors! Drive-thru clothing drives at schools are quick and easy, where people can drop off bags of clothing during the car line. It’s even better when you can book Phyllis the Van on the same day.

VOLUNTEER AS A FAMILY

Kids as young as 10 can volunteer with their families at any of the three Clothes To Kids stores to help sort donations as they come in. We highly recommend volunteering after hosting a clothing drive so you can see your donations at work.

You can contact the volunteer and clothing coordinator, Caroline Stroud, at CarolineS@clothestokids.org or head to clothestokids.org.

DONATE

If you don’t have new clothing or shoes to donate, you can make a monetary donation. A gift of $100 helps Clothes To Kids provide a wardrobe for one child.

If you do have clothing to give, you may drop off your donations at the Clothes To Kids stores between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Remember to check the items and ensure they are something a child would be proud to wear, so no stains or rips.

Clothes To Kids Store Locations: 

You may drop off clothing donations at these locations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

Clearwater:
1059 North Hercules Ave.
Clearwater, FL 33765

St. Petersburg:
2168 34th St. S.
St. Petersburg, FL 33711

Tampa:
5011-H W. Hillsborough Ave.
Tampa, FL 33634

Clothes To Kids, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) Nonprofit. 

READ MORE:

• Clothes to Kids Helps Children in Need Build Confidence
• How to Volunteer with the Kids in Tampa Bay: 10+ ways to give back
• Kids to Know: Annabelle Gutowski’s Mission for Foster Kids

Originally published in the July 2025 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine and updated for the May 2026 issue.